The Golden Retriever is an energetic and active race and sporting dog who needs daily exercise. This dog has the ability to adapt well to new places, willing to try to please his owner and easy to train. If you are interested in raising a Golden Retriever, learn about this breed first, then carefully select the Golden Retriever puppy you want to keep from a trusted breeder.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Setting Up a Commitment
Step 1. Learn about the types/species of the Golden Retriever
Before you commit to a Golden Retriever, you'll need to learn a bit about the breed to make sure that the dog's personality matches your lifestyle and expectations.
- The Golden Retriever is a very popular breed of dog. In the United States, the Golden Retriever is the third most popular dog breed and this popularity is due to its friendly demeanor. This dog breed is very adaptable and feels comfortable living in rural or urban areas. However, Golden Retrievers need exercise or activity every day, usually by walking or running.
- Golden Retrievers make great pets for families, and can interact with children. These dogs also tend to be easy to train and exhibit friendly or kind behavior towards other pets. The downside is that these dogs aren't always easy to leave alone for long periods of time so if you want to give them some crate training, it may take longer.
- Generally, these dogs have good manners. However, sometimes these dogs throw tantrums or get angry if they don't get enough attention. Because they are very sociable, Golden Retrievers need lots of interaction to stay happy. If you work a lot and have a busy schedule, you may need to choose a different breed that is different and relatively more independent (that is, can be left out for a longer period of time).
Step 2. Prepare to raise a puppy
If you've made a solid choice about choosing a puppy, try to think about it and consider the time commitment you need to show for raising a puppy.
- When you are raising a puppy, you will need to provide some basic behavioral training such as proper urination, good manners when he is put on a leash, and crate training. This kind of training takes a lot of time and patience, so make sure you have plenty of free time throughout the day to train your dog.
- In the first year of vaccination, puppies will also need to be taken to the vet more often. Even if your puppy has had certain vaccine shots, there are some types of vaccination that will need to be given several times. Make sure you can spare the time and funds for additional visits to the vet.
- Since puppies don't have the same understanding as adult dogs, you need to make sure your home environment is safe before bringing your puppy home. This means keeping food, fragile items, or other items you don't want your dog to bite or get in contact with until it's fully trained.
Step 3. Try adopting or keeping an adult Golden Retriever from a rescue center or animal shelter
While raising a puppy can be an exciting experience, if you are reluctant or unprepared to show commitment to raising and training it, it's a good idea to have an adult dog. Many people are reluctant to adopt an adult dog from a shelter when they want to keep a certain breed of dog. However, there is usually a population of Golden Retrievers kept in animal shelters or rescue centers (the population includes puppies and adult dogs, of course).
- Dogs housed in animal rescue centers are usually dogs abandoned by previous owners, sold in pet stores with poor quality care, or raised in large-scale breeders. The animal shelter and rescue center will look for a new permanent home for the dogs. Adoption qualifications will vary depending on the shelter or rescue center visited, but the adoption process is usually quite lengthy. However, the cost of adopting or maintaining a Golden Retriever is generally cheaper than the cost of adopting other breeds of dogs.
- Many people choose to adopt a dog from a shelter and rescue center for a number of reasons, most notably ethical reasons. However, they still want to keep a puppy. While it's possible to adopt a Golden Retriever puppy from a shelter and rescue center, the chances of having a puppy available are very slim and you may need to wait a long time for a puppy to be raised. If you want to have a puppy, the best option is to adopt it or buy it from a trusted breeder. If you are seriously considering adopting a dog from a shelter and rescue center, then reconsider your options and open up opportunities to raise adult dogs.
Method 2 of 3: Selecting Cultivators
Step 1. Avoid buying puppies from pet stores and large breeders
Farmers and large-scale farms do attract quite a lot of attention because they have a fairly large population of Golden Retriever puppies (and, in fact, can provide "stock" quickly). The buying and adopting process is also shorter and, sometimes, less expensive. However, there are actually a lot of downsides to buying or adopting a puppy from a large-scale farm or pet store.
- Puppies sold in pet stores or obtained from large-scale farms are usually not properly cared for or bred and are therefore more susceptible to health problems. Because they were kept in poor condition before being sold, these puppies will usually exhibit certain behavior problems when purchased and brought home by their new owners.
- Farmers who work with pet stores are usually very dependent on market demand for dogs. This is one of the reasons why it's so easy to get a puppy from a pet store. However, such breeding practices are ethically questionable because in the end, many dogs are returned or abandoned. When you buy a puppy from a pet store, you are actually supporting the questionable breeding practice. In addition, the money you spend will certainly be better used to buy a puppy from a trusted and responsible breeder.
- Home cultivators are also not a good choice, although their cultivation practices may not be as bad as those of cultivators working with pet shops. Domestic breeders refer to owners of Golden Retrievers who breed their dogs for entertainment purposes only. Usually, owners of such dogs do not or do not really understand how to care for and breed dogs responsibly to reduce the risk of developing genetic disorders.
Step 2. Identify the characteristics of good quality cultivators
When choosing a dog breeder, study the characteristics of a quality breeder so that you can choose a person or breeder who is responsible and can provide healthy puppies.
- In the United States, trusted and qualified cultivators usually belong to organizations such as the American Kennel Club, the Golden Retriever Club of America, or the Golden Retriever clubs in their hometown/region. In Indonesia, truly qualified cultivators may be quite difficult to find (some internet search results may appear “suspicious” or unconvincing). Nonetheless, there are some cultivators you can visit such as the Golden Top Kennel and Starfield. For more information on trusted breeders, try visiting sites such as Our Dogs and Our Dogs.
- Good cultivators are also usually involved in events such as dog dexterity competitions, hunting shows, trail hunting, or a combination of other agility fields. Good breeders always try to connect and establish good relationships with dog lovers so that the next generations of dogs are kept healthy.
- Good breeders will also provide clean breeding facilities for their existing dogs. Well-bred puppies are relatively sociable, and have clean, shiny coats. In addition, the puppies will be happy when they see visitors, rather than acting scared or whining. Keep in mind that good breeders will never offer or sell puppies that are under seven months old because puppies can have emotional difficulties, and have the potential to exhibit behavioral problems.
- Good breeders can provide complete medical records, including vaccination dates, health checks, and prevention of worm development in dogs. The breeder can also show the pedigree of the breeder, including information on any hereditary disorders that the pup may carry. Ideally, a good breeder will examine the mother (including the male) for any diseases commonly found in Golden Retrievers.
- A good cultivator will not simply sell his bred puppies to just anyone. They need to explain grooming conditions and instructions for feeding and training the new puppies. In addition, you are likely to get lots of questions about your dog-keeping experience, as well as a specific interest in Golden Retrievers. Although many people are confused by these questions, it is actually a good sign. This means that the cultivator is really trying hard to find the best home or owner for the puppies being cultivated. This also shows his dedication in caring for and maintaining dogs, in accordance with ethics.
Step 3. Contact cultivators in your city/area
After understanding how to identify a quality breeder, start looking for a Golden Retriever breeder in your city/area.
- If you live in the United States, you can try visiting the American Kennel Club website. The site has a powerful search engine to find cultivators in a particular city or area. Surely this site can be a great starting source to start looking for information about trusted cultivators. In addition to these websites, you can also obtain information from organizations such as the Golden Retriever Club or America or clubs in your city/area. In Indonesia, you can join forums such as Kaskus and Dunia Dogs, and visit websites such as Dogs Kita to get information about farmers in your city/region.
- You can also try to get information from the nearest vet clinic or ask a friend or acquaintance who has a Golden Retriever.
- You may need to travel out of town/area to visit certain cultivators, especially if you live in a rural area. The nearest cultivator may be out of town and about a few hours from your city/area. Therefore, make sure you are prepared for the long journey to meet the breeder and choose a Golden Retriever puppy to raise.
Method 3 of 3: Choosing a Puppy
Step 1. Discuss with the breeder what breed of dog you want
The breeder will need to work with you to find a dog that suits your needs. Describe the characteristics of the desired dog and ask the breeder to choose a suitable puppy.
- Often times, breeders won't let you choose from the entire puppy population. They will narrow down their selection to two or three puppies that match your desired traits, then ask you to choose one dog from the options.
- While explaining the characteristics of the desired puppy, the breeder will ask you a lot of questions. Again, this can be a good sign. Qualified breeders must of course ensure that their puppies will find a good place to live and will not have a bad “luck” (eg abandoned by their owners and taken by animal shelters and rescues).
Step 2. Ask for the parent's existing medical history
You will also need to ask for the parent's existing medical history. Golden Retrievers are generally in good health, although there are some aspects of heredity to be aware of.
- Cancer is the main disease that can kill Golden Retrievers. However, the presence of cancer in a puppy's medical history does not necessarily indicate a dangerous health condition. In fact, it is still not known for certain whether cancer in Golden Retrievers is a hereditary disease. Since more than half of the Golden Retriever population is at risk of developing cancer, cancer may, unfortunately, become unavoidable when it comes to getting a Golden Retriever.
- Groin dysplasia is a genetic disease and can be very painful for your dog. In addition, the maintenance costs are quite expensive. Make sure the mother pup you want to pet has had a dysplasia test and undergoes regular X-ray scans to make sure there are no signs of the disease progressing.
- Liver disease is also a common type of disease that occurs in Golden Retrievers. If your dog is very young, liver disease can cause sudden death. Although not always passed down from parents, you still need to make sure there are no signs or history of liver disease in the pedigree of the dog you want to keep. You can still adopt a puppy with a history of liver disease in their pedigree, but you will need to talk to your vet about regular X-rays to monitor their health.
Step 3. Make sure the puppies are shown in groups when you want to see them
You will need to observe how the puppies behave in the group to choose the best puppies.
- Choose a puppy who is easy to get along with. He must be able to interact with his friends, without showing aggressive behavior or dominating the herd excessively.
- Pay attention to how your puppy reacts to moving objects. You need to choose a pup that is smart and active so make sure that he has at least the instinct to follow and chase the ball that rolls towards him. You also need to choose a puppy who is willing to share toys and won't fight with his friends over ropes, balls, or chew toys.
Step 4. Interact with each puppy, one at a time
You can learn a lot about puppies based on how they behave in face-to-face interactions (one-on-one interactions).
- You need to choose a puppy who doesn't shy away from being separated from his friends. By the seventh or eighth week, your puppy should also be curious about his new surroundings, exploring his surroundings while interacting with you occasionally.
- Make sure he exhibits relatively good behavior. Puppies who are too brave (in this case, overly high-spirited) and constantly interested in all kinds of things require more of a nurturing commitment than you might think.
- Puppies who appear shy or timid when separated from the pack may not be a good choice. It is possible that the puppy may have behavioral problems after being petted.
Step 5. Watch for signs of good health
Make sure the puppy you choose is in good health. Do not let you adopt a puppy who has signs of certain diseases.
- A healthy puppy will move energetically and will have a shiny coat and clear eyes.
- Carefully examine the eyelids and eyelashes of the puppy because some inherited health disorders are characterized by dryness around the eyes.
- Never adopt or buy a Golden Retriever if the breeder does not provide or show a license or health certificate. Trusted breeders need to make sure you get any information regarding any health conditions or genetic disorders the puppy has. In this way, they can ensure that you are ready to demonstrate a commitment so that the chosen dog will not experience bad things after being petted (eg abandoned or thrown into a shelter because of health problems he is experiencing).
- Pay attention to the size of the dog's ears. Some Golden Retrievers have more drooping ears than others. While this isn't necessarily a sign of a health problem, keep in mind that dogs with drooping ears may be more prone to ear infections, especially if you allow your dog to swim.
